Baseline Essay: Guess who's Looking at your Facebook Page?

         In the article, "Guess Who's Looking at Your Facebook Page?" the author Alessandra Potenza raised concern to the issue of whether should school admission officers and employers Google applicants for background checks. More and more college admission officers are checking applicants' online trails, claimed wanting to know more about applicants. Statistics and examples of applicants reveal the consequences for posting online. The article reflect on how students/workers' privacy and outside lives are being invaded without permission.

        According to the article, "Guess Who's Looking at Your Facebook Page?" college admission officers has started conducting background checks on applicants since 2011. Background checks include googling applicants online, and investigating them on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Yet many young people share personal information and post parts of their life online. "In a recent survey, over a quarter of admissions officers at hundreds of top ranked U.S colleges said they'd used Facebook and Google to vet applicants." A background check means invasion of privacy toward applicants. Officers conducting unreasonable searches on students' private life is just not ethical.

       Not only school admission officers are checking students online trails, many employers are also searching on workers in order to make sure they are behaving properly. In the job market, checking on applicants on social media appears to be spreading. According to the article, " more than 90 percent of recruiters check candidates' social media profiles." This means workers are technically not allowed to have fun because they are being restricted. Workers has to behave on a  professionally
manner to present themselves better to employers. Therefore in order to get a job or obtain their jobs, workers are forced to conceal themselves.

    However, the author also provides a counterclaim. College admission officers and employers claim they are only checking how responsible their students and workers are behaving. "...even "friends" her students on Facebook to check- beyond the privacy wall- that they're behaving responsibly." Even though it is okay for counselors to make sure students are behaving properly, it is not their business to check beyond the privacy wall.

    In conclusion, students and workers privacy and fun should not be invaded by college officers and employers, People should be allowed to maintain their own private life while doing school work or regular work. It is not their business of others life.